


Crashing Into A Marked Future

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Awkward Flirting, F/M, Flirting, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Office, Older Woman/Younger Man, Pre-Relationship, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Baylee knew his soulmate was out there, but was too busy to look. The words on his body didn't give him much hope either. He finds his soulmate in an unexpected way, and she's everything he never expected.
Relationships: Baylee Littrell/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fricksgirl_32](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fricksgirl_32/gifts).



The sun peeked through the horizon, the rays subtly illuminating the bedroom, and the young man asleep in the bed across from the window. Over the next two hours, the light got brighter and brighter, and the young man groaned softly as he flipped in bed, throwing his blankets over his head. 

“Too early….” 

The shrill sound of his alarm clock blared, and Baylee threw his blankets off, glaring at the offending object. Reaching up he slapped it, and groaned loudly. Baylee laid there for a few minutes more before heaving himself up. 

“Goddamn business meeting” he grumbled and stumbled into his bathroom. 

Fifteen minutes later, he was taking the stairs two at a time, and walked into the kitchen. His button down shirt was open, and he was shoeless. Going right for the coffee machine, he grabbed a cup and poured it. 

“God that tastes amazing” Baylee grunted as he started to feel more awake. He grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, and drained his coffee as he ate. Grabbing his travel mug, he made his coffee again, and went to get his shoes on. 

“Shit” Baylee glanced at the clock, and grabbed his suit jacket that he had brought down with him. Putting it on, grabbing his briefcase, and his coffee, he made his way to his car. 

The young man was only 19, but he had been part of his father’s business since he was 16. Brian had taught his son everything he knew, and now Baylee was leading his own group of employees. 

Baylee looked in the rearview mirror and adjusted his shirt. His chest was exposed, and that wasn’t a good thing. He looked down at the words on his left pectoral muscle, wishing that his words were anywhere else. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry young man. Can I help you up?” had been on his chest since he was an infant. It had been tiny, and grew as he did. It was scrawled in a decidedly female manner, something that made his parents very happy. 

The blonde shook his head, as he focused back on the road. He couldn’t think about his soulmark right now. He wasn’t ashamed of it, but looking for his soulmate wasn’t something that Baylee was focusing on right now. 

“Thank god” he muttered as he walked into his office ten minutes later. The traffic hadn’t been pleasant, and he got a stink eye from his father as he walked in. That didn’t help his mood either. Baylee threw his briefcase on his desk, setting his coffee down next to it. Booting his computer up, the young man took the papers out of his briefcase, rifling through them. 

“Bay, can you come to my office please” Brian stuck his head in his son’s office. Baylee looked up and nodded. He grabbed his coffee and followed his father. He could tell that his father was not in a good mood. 

Five minutes later, Baylee was sitting with the other department heads in his father’s meeting room. It was only because he was Brian’s son that Baylee was in these meetings. He would inherit the business once Brian retired. 

“Can someone explain to me why we are down 7% this quarter?” Brian put both of his hands on the table, leaning on them, glaring at everyone seated. Baylee gulped and looked at the older men and women around him. A couple went ashen, a few swallowed, and a couple looked unsurprised. 

“Carter and Boniello, what’s going on?” Brian saw the two’s unsurprised looks, and wanted answers. 

“Our department has had 3 firings in the last month, and our production has decreased by nearly 20%. The people in our department besides a select few have started slacking, and we can’t keep up. Reports are piling up, and we can’t get anything done” Nick looked at his boss, Leigh agreeing with his words. 

“Richardson, Kitt, and Karadis, what’s going on in your departments?” Brian asked, taking mental note of what Nick said. 

Kevin, Lauren, and Rochelle looked at each other, wondering why Brian had grouped them together. The three explained what was going on in their departments, and Brian groaned. It wasn’t just one department that was in need of an overhaul but several. 

After getting reports from each of his underlings, Brian dismissed them all except Baylee. The younger man approached his father cautiously. Baylee knew of his father’s temper, and sat down across from him, wondering what Brian would do. 

“What is your opinion son?” Brian looked at Baylee, and saw the frustration come across Baylee’s face. 

“We need to look into Carter and Boniello’s department as well as Karadis’s. Richardson’s, Kitt’s, and the others seem to be okay. I’d get someone to oversee Carter and Boniello’s, if three people have been fired in a month. Something else has to be going on there. I recommend asking Dorough, he’s been itching for a management position, and he’s proven he can do it” Baylee told his father. Howie had been working with him for the last six months, and Baylee was very impressed by the older man. 

Brian nodded, taking notes. He would look into Dorough’s work, but would probably take his son’s advice and promote the man. Brian rubbed his temple, and groaned softly. It was 10AM and he already had a headache. 

“Dad, you okay?” Baylee asked, concern in his tone. 

“Yes Baylee, I’m fine. Go get your reports done please. I expect them at the end of day” Brian said shortly, and Baylee nodded. He left the room, knowing his father’s tone. 

The young man went back to his office and got heads down in his work. Two hours later, he slammed his computer shut and growled, stalking out of his office. 

“I’m going on lunch break, call me if anything else goes wrong today” he looked at his secretary, who nodded a bit in fright. It wasn’t like Baylee to be so upset. The young man took a deep breath and apologized before leaving. 

Baylee decided to go take a walk in the nearby park to clear his head. The fresh air had always helped him. He drove, and parked in the street. The trail was a short one, and he would be done in under an hour. Baylee started off on an easy pace, just breathing deeply. His shirt was loosened, and his words were barely visible under the light blue collared shirt he wore. 

“Thank god it’s so nice out” Baylee spoke absentmindedly, looking up at the clouds for a moment. He never noticed the biker approaching him from behind. 

All of a sudden Baylee was on his back, looking up into the concerned eyes of a woman hovering over him. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry young man. Can I help you up?” the woman asked, and Baylee’s eyes widened, his chest heating up. The woman held her hand out to help Baylee up off the ground. 

“What happened? Why weren’t you paying attention?” he growled, not taking the woman’s hand, and getting himself up, dusting himself off. The woman looked at him in shock, rubbing her inner arm gently. 

“Umm, I didn’t see you, I am sorry. My name’s Heather, what’s yours?” Baylee watched her rub her arm, knowing that he had just met his soulmate, in about the worst way possible. 

“Baylee. Listen, I have to get back to work. Here’s my business card, call me on the cell number tonight after six pm, and we can talk about this” Baylee shoved the card in her hand, and walked away back to his car. 

Heather looked at Baylee’s retreating back, and at the card in her hand. She sighed softly, and put it in her back pocket. This wasn’t how she ever imagined meeting her soulmate. Heather got back on her bike, and continued pedaling. All she could do was wait until after six to actually talk to her soulmate. 

Baylee got back to the office ten minutes later, abandoning his walk, his mind whirling. He tried to put the fact that he had just met Heather out of his head, focusing back on the reports he had to do. The hours melted by, and he managed to get all of his work done and sent to his father. At 5pm he popped his head into Brian’s office. 

“Heading home Dad, I’ll see you tomorrow morning” 

Brian looked up. “Sure thing bubs, thank you for today. I am going to go with your recommendation and talk to Dorough tomorrow about overseeing Carter and Boniello’s department” 

“Awesome Dad. Howie really deserves it, and he will be amazing” Baylee smiled. 

The younger Littrell left the office, heading home. He got back in his car, and took his suit jacket off, flinging it into the passenger seat. Baylee looked down and groaned. His writing was pitch black, which meant he had met his soulmate. It had been light gray for so long, seeing it black was shocking to him. 

“Damnit” he groaned, putting his head on the steering wheel. He growled, and then sighed. Baylee got his seatbelt on and got himself home. Thirty minutes later, he was dragging his feet into his kitchen. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a serving of the baked ziti he had made on the weekend. 

The 2 bedroom 2 bathroom home he had gotten a year and a half ago had been a godsend for him. He had needed help from his parents when he first started out, but now Baylee was fully independent from them, and very happily living on his own. 

Baylee pulled the ziti from the microwave, and sat at the island, putting the tv on in the living room which he could see from the kitchen. Putting the sports highlights on, he ate his dinner. Glancing at the time, the closer it got to six, the more butterflies came into his stomach. He hoped that Heather would call. 

Washing his dish, utensil, and cup, Baylee heard his phone go off. Muffling a curse, he shut the water off. Quickly drying his hands, he grabbed his cell. Not recognizing the number, he answered it anyway. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi, this is Baylee right? It’s Heather calling” Heather spoke softly. 

“Hi Heather, it is Baylee. How are you?” Baylee dropped onto his couch, muting the TV. 

“I’m good. How is your back?” Heather anxiously asked, remember how Baylee had fallen earlier. 

“I’m fine. My back is good. Listen, I am sorry about this afternoon. Work was just a nightmare this morning and I was just trying to take a walk to cool off. I didn’t mean to go off on you like that” Baylee apologized. 

“Well, if you hadn’t I wouldn’t have found my soulmate, but I appreciate the apology” Heather replied. 

“Yes I definitely wasn’t expecting to find you today. That was totally not the right foot to get to know each other. So let’s start over, if we could” Baylee suggested. 

“Sure we can. My name is Heather, I’m 23, I work as a kindergarten teacher, I have one brother, and I like video games” Baylee’s eyes widened. 

“My name is Baylee, I’m 19, I work for my dad, I’m an only child, and I like to play sports” Baylee spoke, and Heather gasped. 

“Well that’s unexpected. But we are soulmates, the age gap doesn’t matter” Heather stated practically, and Baylee hummed. 

“Yeah my parents are 6 years apart, mom’s older. I just never thought I’d be in the same type of relationship with my wife being older than me” Baylee shook his head at the coincidence. 

Heather chuckled softly, and the two started talking about their interests, jobs, hobbies, anything and everything. The two knew that the soulmate bond would help their romance along. All soulmate bonds were romantic, and within 2 years of meeting 95% of soulmates married. The other 5% were bonds where one person was underage upon time of meeting. Both people needed to be over the age of 18 to marry. 

“When are you free, and where do you live?” Heather asked a little later. 

“I’m free on Saturdays. I work Monday-Friday, and attend church with my parents on Sundays, and hang out with them afterwards and have dinner with them. I live in Alpharetta, work in Atlanta” Baylee replied. 

“I live and work in Decatur, right outside of Atlanta. I’m free on the weekends, and don't really do much outside of work. Today was a school holiday, so I decided to go on a long bike ride” Heather smiled. 

“I already have plans this Saturday, why don’t we hang out next Saturday?” Baylee suggested, not willing to break plans he had made with Odin and Ava. 

“That works Baylee. Can I call you before then?” Heather shyly asked. 

“Of course. I am free most nights after 6, I usually don’t do a damn thing after work. I’d love to talk to you” 

Heather smiled, and a few minutes later the two hung up. She moved to go back to her lesson plans, her heart feeling light. She shook her head, and focused back on her work. She had a monster lesson for tomorrow and needed to make sure she was prepared. 


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next week and a half, the two settled into a routine of talking every night for at least an hour. Baylee started subtly flirting with Heather, catching the older woman off guard. 

“Baylee…” Heather groaned as he dropped yet another line on her. The rich laughter over the line brought a smile to her face, and she shook her head. 

“Where are we going tomorrow?” Baylee asked, and Heather bit her lip. 

“It doesn’t matter to me, you pick the place” 

“How about the aquarium? I haven’t been there since I was a kid, and I’ve always loved the sea life” the younger blonde suggested. 

“Oh! I love the aquarium. How about we meet there at 2pm? Does that work?” 

“I’ll see you there at 2” Baylee warmly replied, and the two hung up soon after. 

Baylee woke up the next morning, stretching slightly, a smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to see Heather today, and hug her tightly. Going through his usual Saturday morning routine, he shot Heather a text, making sure she was still on for today. 

“Of course, I’ll see you in a few hours” was the reply, and Baylee grinned. He went to make himself some lunch, and lounged in front of the TV for a bit until he showered and dressed. With a spring in his step, Baylee adjusted his polo shirt and moved out to his car. Getting in, he made his way to the aquarium. 

Heather leaned against her car, waiting for her soulmate to show up. She had gotten to the aquarium 15 minutes early, unusual for her, but she was anxious to see Baylee. An older truck made its way into the parking lot, and Heather stared in a little shock at Baylee hopping out of the car. 

“Well I’m a little bit surprised. You seemed like you were the one to have a fancy sports car, not a truck from the early 2000’s” Heather walked over, and Baylee wrapped her in a hug. Heather sniffed his cologne, and it felt like home to her. 

“I grew up with my dad driving trucks, and my grandfather as well. Dad has a sports car he drives to work, but otherwise he drives trucks. I’ll probably end up getting a sports car in a few years, but right now I love my truck” Baylee explained as the two pulled away. 

Heather nodded, and Baylee grabbed her hand, as the two made their way into the aquarium. The older woman felt the heat hitting her cheeks, but she relaxed as Baylee paid for their tickets. 

“Where to first?” Baylee asked, and chuckled as Heather dragged him off to go see the penguins. From there they visited each exhibit, and enjoyed each other’s company. Baylee flirted even more overtly and Heather took it in stride. 

“I’m telling my parents about us tomorrow” Baylee casually stated as they walked towards the manatee exhibit. Heather stopped and stared at the younger man. 

“How is that going to go?” she asked cautiously. 

“I’m going to assume fine, since they are in the same type of relationship as us. I don’t foresee an issue” Baylee shrugged. He couldn’t see why his parents would have a problem. 

“Let’s hope so. Do let me know how it goes. I haven’t said anything to my mom yet, but I think I should. She knows about markings, even though she never had one. My brother does, but he’s still looking for his soulmate” Heather replied. 

“Yea my friend Odin and Dad’s friend AJ don’t have marks either. I think it may be easier in that respect, but also more difficult in some ways. People without marks are rare, and marks are usually hidden by clothing, so it can be difficult to tell who has them and who doesn’t” Baylee agreed. 

The two finished up their walk through in the aquarium, and after a stop at the gift shop, Heather had a stuffed penguin to take home with her. She tried to protest, but it fell on deaf ears. Baylee grinned as they walked out hand in hand. 

“Want to do this again next week?” Baylee asked, and Heather looked at him. 

“I have plans next Saturday with my friends Becca and Kimm. What about a Friday night dinner? We can go to Red Lobster or Olive Garden” Heather suggested. 

Baylee thought for a moment about his schedule, and nodded at the brunette. He loved the idea of taking his soulmate out, and he leaned down, taking Heather’s lips in a chaste kiss. Heather smiled and reciprocated the affection. 

“Wow” they breathed as they pulled apart. The kiss had been electric, and had sent shocks down both their bodies. Their lips were red and plump, and the new couple looked at each other a little goofily. 

Heather hugged Baylee tightly, and yelped as he squeezed her ass affectionately before they separated to their cars. After a reminder to text him when she got home, Heather slipped into her car. 

“Damn that boy is amazing” she thought as she made her way home. Baylee was thinking the same thing as he made his way back to Alpharetta. He hoped that seeing his parents the next day would go smoothly once he told them about Heather. 

“That sermon was a good one today” Brian commented the next day as he, Leighanne, and Baylee left church. 

“Yes it was, the pastor hit all the right points today” Leighanne agreed with her husband, and Baylee nodded along. He loosened his tie as he got in the backseat of his father’s truck. Baylee always drove over to his parents, and then the three of them drove to church together. 

They made their way back home, and Leighanne pulled the lunch she had put in the crockpot earlier that morning out. It was just past 2pm, and Baylee was hungry. Brian shredded the meat, adding the BBQ sauce. Twenty minutes later, they were chowing down on pulled pork sandwiches with a variety of salads and chips. 

“Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you both” Baylee looked at his parents as they sat back from their meal. 

“What’s going on son?” Leighanne asked. 

Baylee let a small smile grace his face. “I found my soulmate” 

Brian and Leighanne gasped audibly, and both got up to hug their son. “That is amazing Baylee, tells us all about her” 

“She lives in Decatur, and her name is Heather” Baylee grinned. 

“How did you two meet?” Brian was curious, due to the words on his son’s chest. He had always known about them, and wondered what would cause them to be said by Baylee’s soulmate. His own hand ghosted over his left rib cage, where Leighanne’s words were. 

“She ran into me on her bike last week, the day that we had that big meeting, and everything went to hell. I had gone to take a walk in the park on my break, and she wasn’t paying attention and bumped into me” Baylee explained. 

“The day where you recommended Dorough?” at his son’s nod, Brian smiled. “Thank god you did, because he’s whipping that department into shape and it’s been a week” Baylee grinned hearing that. It had been tough to lose Howie, but Baylee knew that the man was destined for a higher title than the one he had with him. 

“Okay, back to your soulmate. How old is she? What high school does she attend?” Leighanne asked, assuming that her son’s soulmate was younger than him. 

“She’s 24, and is a kindergarten teacher in Decatur” Baylee smiled as he spoke. 

Brian and Leighanne looked at each other, worry coloring their features. They had never expected their son to have the same sort of relationship they had, with Leighanne being older than Brian. 

“Five years older Bay? Are you sure she’s your soulmate?” Brian asked, Leighanne nodding along with his words. Baylee silently stood up and lifted his shirt. His words were pitch black, and visible to his parents. 

“I’m pretty damn sure Dad,” Baylee replied. 

Brian nodded in agreement, and Leighanne reached over, hugging her son tightly. The three of them stood up, and they moved to the den to continue talking, Brian putting on the sports highlights. Baylee was relieved that his parents didn’t have an issue with who his soulmate was. Now he could put this behind him and look forward to Friday night. 


	3. Chapter 3

Heather rubbed her forehead as she walked into her home. It had been a hectic day, and the kids were especially rowdy today. It was a full day after 4 days of half days, and the kids were restless in the afternoon. She dropped her bag on the table and went to grab a glass of water, and some Tylenol for her headache. 

“So can’t wait to see Baylee tonight” she thought as she put the glass down. She moved to her bag, sitting down to get some grading done. The kids had had spelling tests today, and she needed to go through them. Deciphering their handwriting was difficult at times, but an hour later Heather had the tests all graded. She looked at the time, and nodded. 

“Time to shower and get ready” she muttered, and took the stairs up to her room, getting her towel and clothes ready for the night. She moved into the shower, putting on her favorite music to listen to while she got ready. 

An hour later, she was walking out to her car, a pep in her step. It had been a long week, and she needed this time out with her soulmate. Tomorrow with Kimm and Becca would be fun, since she intended to spill all about Baylee to them, but Heather needed tonight. 

“Hey Baylee” she smiled as she walked into the restaurant fifteen minutes later. The blonde turned and grinned, pulling her into a hug. Heather sighed happily as the two pulled apart. Baylee grabbed her hand and they moved to the hostess stand. A couple minutes later they were sitting down across from each other. 

“So how did it go?” Heather asked, Baylee smiling at her. The two hadn’t had much time to talk since last Saturday, Heather had parent-teacher conferences all week. 

“Good. Dad was a bit in disbelief that we are actually soulmates, so I had to show him my words, but afterwards they both accepted it, and were happy and excited for me” Baylee replied. 

“That’s great! I was expecting a lot worse” Heather smiled. 

“I wasn’t sure. Thankfully work hasn’t been awkward at all, and it’s just been status quo for me this week. How about you? I know it was a crazy week” Baylee reached across, grabbing Heather’s hand. 

“Don’t remind me. It’s my second year teaching, and conference week is the worst. The kids are only there for four hours, but I’m stuck at the school until after 8. Thankfully most of the parents showed up this year. Today was the absolute toughest. The kids were used to going home at 1, but now had to stay until 330. They were absolute terrors after lunch today. I finally got them to cooperate by doing story time until dismissal. I nearly ran out after them” Heather sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her other hand. 

“Oof. I am so sorry Heather, hopefully next week is easier on you. So what are you doing with your friends tomorrow?” Baylee curiously asked. 

“Not too sure yet, but it will involve alcohol, that’s for sure. We don’t often get time to see each other. Kimm is married to her soulmate with a son, and Becca is raising her two kids alone after her husband left them some years back. She’s another person I know without a soulmark” Heather explained, and Baylee nodded. 

“Yea, Dad’s friend AJ found his now wife a few years ago after over 25 years of searching, and my friend Odin is still struggling to find someone without a soulmark. Doesn’t help that we are in a densely populated marked area, not many don’t have marks these days” Baylee sighed as he thought of his best friend. 

The two of them dived into their meals as they came in that moment. Baylee smiled happily as he watched Heather eat, feeling so thankful in that moment he had found her. He couldn’t wait to marry her and have a family with her. The young man shook his head to clear his thoughts, he was getting ahead of himself. 

“Bay?” Heather looked up just as he stopped shaking his head. 

“Nothing love, just thinking” Baylee reassured the older woman, who nodded uncertainly but went back to her food. 

“What do you see in your future?” she suddenly asked, throwing Baylee completely. 

“You, two or three kids, a successful business, and a happy life” he answered after a second to think. Heather smiled. 

“That’s pretty much what I was thinking. Continuing to teach, kids, and a happy life with you” 

Baylee grinned softly, and cleaned his place up, putting his empty plates to the side, making sure to keep everything neat for their waitress. Heather nodded approvingly, doing the same thing. 

“My friend is a waitress, so I hear all the stories of asshole customers, and that’s the last thing I want to do” Baylee explained. He reached over and grabbed Heather’s hand. 

“Be my girlfriend?” he asked, and Heather’s eyes widened. 

“Bay, we are soulmates, already know we are going to marry in a couple years” Heather looked dubiously at him. 

“I know that, but I want to try and act like we are developing this relationship. I hardly know you, and I want to continue these dates. Of course I will get you an engagement ring as soon as possible, but I want to act like a normal couple, if you would like to indulge me?” Baylee pleaded, his blue eyes twinkling. 

“I can see the merits in that, so yes, I will be your girlfriend” Heather grinned, and Baylee leaned over, laying a peck on her lips. As he pulled away, Heather blushed, and the waitress came to get their dishes, and drop the check. 

“I’ll grab this, and we can head out, see what else we want to do” Baylee suggested, and Heather nodded in agreement. Ten minutes later, they were outside the restaurant, Heather leaning against her car. 

“Go to the beach, I’ll meet you there. The sun is almost starting to set, we can see it completely go down” Heather grinned, and opened her car door, slipping in. Baylee snorted, shaking his head as he went to his own car. 

Five minutes later, the two were hand in hand as they walked down to the water. As they got about ten feet from the water, Heather pulled Baylee down into the sand. The younger blonde pulled his soulmate into his arms, and held her close. 

“Never thought a bike crash would lead me to finding you” 

Heather blushed again, looking up into Baylee’s blue eyes. “I still am sorry about that, I really wasn’t paying attention to where I was going” 

“It’s okay love, I’m fine. This all happened the way it was supposed to. I now have an amazing girlfriend, that I already love to death, and a supportive family with a wonderful job. I am excited about the future, for the first time in a long time” Baylee looked out into the waves, watching the sun steadily falling. 

“Same here Baylee, same here. I really wasn’t thinking I’d meet my soulmate, especially at the age I’m at. I always wanted kids, so I was afraid of finding them too late to have kids. But now we can have the two or three kids we want, and still be young enough to do things once they move out” Heather spoke as she also watched the sun set. 

“Exactly my love. Cannot wait to see where our future takes us from here” Baylee murmured into Heather’s hair, the two falling silent as the sun finally went completely down, the waves crashing into the jetties and the sand. 

Baylee never could have thought that his life would unfold the way it had in the last nineteen years. He had an older soulmate, a job that would lead to him inheriting the business he was working for someday, and the prospect of an amazing future ahead of him. He knew there would be ups and downs, but as long as he had Heather, nothing could destroy what he had. As he tightened his hold on Heather, Baylee knew that the future had started with a bike crash, and would only get more exciting and enduring from here, and he couldn’t wait to see what happened. 


End file.
